Garment sorting apparatus



July 26, 1960 A M. P. FRIEDMAN 2,946,427

GARMENT SORTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNl/EA/Mjg By I

y 1960 M. P. FRIEDMAN 2,946,427

GARMENT SORTING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN l E NTOR.-

GARMENT SORTING APPARATUS Merrill P. Friedman, Chicago, Ill., assignorto Identification, Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois FiledOct. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 766,476

Claims. (Cl. 198-38) This invention relates to ,a garment sortingapparatus, and more specifically, to an apparatus particularly suitedfor use in laundries or in dry cleaning establishments for segregatingprocessed garments into groups belonging to different customers.

While garment sorting machines are known in the art, such machines havebeen generally unsatisfactory because of their large size, complexityand functional defects. Also, such machines have not been readilyadaptable for installations of different size and capacity. Thus, therehas been a definite but unsatisfied need for an expandable garmentsorting unit which might be installed in a plant of relatively smallcapacity and then might be easily enlarged at a later date toaccommodate an expanding volume of work.

Therefore, one of the main objects of the present invention is toprovide a compact sorting apparatus which occupies a relatively smallfloor area and which may be easily disposed adjacent one side wall of alaundry or dry cleaning room. Another object is to provide a garmentsorting apparatus composed of a series of interconnected units, thenumber of units so arranged depending upon the desired capacity of theapparatus. A further object is to provide a positive acting apparatus inwhich garment-supporting hangers are urged along a track to selectedreleasing stations, the garments of a group belonging to the samecustomer being released at the same station. In this connection it is aspecific object to provide means for normally bridging successive segments of a support track and for insuring the release of selectedgarment-carrying hangers therebetween when said means is electricallyactuated.

Other objects will appear from the specification and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a broken perspective view of a portion of an apparatusembodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal section of a switchactuating device,along with a switch adapted to be actuated thereby;

Figure 3 is'a broken top plan view in reduced scale of the garmentsupport track and the take-01f means therefor; and,

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken along a plane extendinglongitudinally of the track showing details of construction thereof.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings thenumeral 10 generally designates a garment sorting apparatus having alongitudinally elongated frame 11, a garment sorting track 12, and meansin the form of pushers 13, one of which is shown in Figure 1, foradvancing garment hangers, such as hanger 14, along track 12.

In Figure 1 it will be seen that the frame 11 comprises a series of boxframe sections interconnected at their ends to form a longitudinalseries. While only two such sections 15 and 16 are represented for thepurpose of clearly illustrating the remaining structure, it will be"understood that a larger number of such sections will ordinarily beconnected together to form a composite frame. For example, an averagesize frame would consist of ten to fifteen of such units or sectionsarranged in a longitudinal series. The actual number of such sectionsfor any' given installation depends of course upon the desired capacityof the garment sorting assembly.

In the illustration given, each of the frame sections has a group offour longitudinally extending angle irons 17 and a pair of opposingC-shaped end plates 18 secured thereto. Brackets 19, secured to theend'portions of the longitudinal angle irons by bolts or rivets 20, holdthe successive frame sections in end-to-end relation while at the sametime providing apertures 21 by which the composite frame may be boltedor otherwise secured to a suitable mounting structure for supporting orsuspending the entire frame.

Along the bottom of each frame section and spaced closer to one sidethereof is an inverted L-shaped mounting plate 22. Each of the mountingplates has a horizontal portion secured to the bottom surfaces of the C-shaped end plates and has a depending portion to which L-shapedtrack-supporting brackets 23 are secured. In Figure 4 it will be seenthat the L-shaped arms are arranged in pairs and are provided at theirupper ends with apertured plates 24 which are inturn connected to thedepending portion of the L-shaped bracket 22 by means of bolts 25(Figure 1).

The garment hanger support track 12 comprises a plurality of elongatedand inverted Ushaped channel segments 26. These segments are arranged ina longitudinally extending series with the ends thereof spaced apart andnormally bridged by pivotally mounted bridging elements 27. Each tracksegment is connected by transverse straps 28 and screws 29 to thehorizontal end portions of a pair of L-shaped arms 23. In the embodimentillustrated in Figure 1, each frame unit is provided with two pairs oftrack-supporting arms 23 so that two track segments are suspended fromeach frame unit. It will be understood, however, that the frame unitsmay be made in any desired length and that therefore a greater number oftrack segments may be supported by each unit.

Referring again to Figure 1, it will be seen that the pusher element 13has an inverted Y-shaped configuration with legs 30 extending outwardlyand downwardly and partially straddling track 12. Rollers 31 on oppositesides of the pushers upstanding central portion 32 ride within thechannels of opposing O-shaped rails 33 supported directly above track12'by L-shaped support members 34 which are welded or otherwise securedto the bottom surfaces of frame end plates 18. Similar rails 35 aresupported along the upper portion of the frame by mounting members 36.'A plurality of uniformly spaced pusher elements of the characterillustrated in Figure l are secured to an endless chain 37 driven by asuitable drive sprocket and power plant (not shown). Sprockets (notshown) at the ends of the elongated frame 11 support the chain andtherefore guide the pusher elements between the lower guide rails 33 andthe upper guide rails 35 at the ends of the frame.

As shown in Figure =1, the leading edges of the pushers legs 30 areflared outwardly 'to insure proper engagement between that element andthe hook of a hanger advanced thereby. Since the depending legs of thepusher are spaced closer to the vertical outer surfaces of the tracksegments 26 than the hook portion of wire hanger 14 and since these legsconverge to form the central upper portion 32, itis apparent that ahanger cannot escape engagement and advancement by a forwardly movingpusher element unless, of course, that hanger is completelyunhooked-from the track.

.Patented July 26, 1960 Like track segments 26, the bridging elements 27have inverted U-shaped cross-sections defined by top walls 38 anddepending side walls 39." As shown in Figures 1 and 4, these dependingside walls. 39 are triangular in shape so that when the elements areinftheir normal bridging positions the lower edges of these sidewallsextend down.- Wardly and forwardly. Each element is pivotally connectedto a track segment'by a hinge 40 secured to'the forward portion of thebridging elements 'top wall and to the trailing edge portion of thesegment. 'A'solenoid it is disposed within the channel of each tracksegment and is equipped with a plunger 42 which is operatively connectedto the bridging element at the rear end of that segment by links 43 and44 or by any other suitable'means. Therefore, when the solenoid isactuated the solenoid plunger 42 moves rearwardly and the bridgingelement is lifted into the raised position illustrated in broken linesin Figure 4. It will be noted that the upward movement of each bridgingelement is limited by links 43 and 44 and by the strokeof plunger 42 sothat the lower edges of the elements side walls 39 do not extend invertical directions but instead retain at least a slight downward 1 andforward inclination.

The take-off or discharge means comprises a plurality of smooth rods 45which angle downwardly, forwardly and laterally from the forward endportions of each track segment 26. As shown in Figure 4, the rods 45 arefla tened at their upper surface of the segments adjacent the forwardends thereof. The rods may be of any desired length, although it hasbeen found that rods of about four to six feet are sufficient in lengthto support an ample number of garments which have been discharged fromthe track and which await collection, packaging, etc.

While any suitable means might be used for independently andelectrically actuating the solenoids 41 of the bridging elements, Iprefer to provide switches 46 adjacent lower rails 33 and slightly inadvance of each of the bridging elements. As shown in Figures 1 and 2,switches 46 are each provided with a vertical series of switching arms47 adapted to be engaged and pivoted by the extended contact members 48of an actuating device 49 mounted upon each pusher 13. In Figure 2 itwill be seen that the contact elements are mounted for pivotal movementbetween laterally extended positions and retracted positions and thatcoil springs 50 disposed within the recesses 51 of the contact elementstend to hold those elements in either fully retracted or fully extendedpositions. A lever 52 carried by vertical shaft 53 operates to shift allof the contact elements into extended positions when lever arm 54(Figure l) is pivoted inwardly and rearwardly.

Each of the switches 46 is preset to actuate its particular solenoidonly when a selected combination of switching arms 47 are pivoted intoclosed positions. During operation of the apparatus, the contact fingers48 associated with each pusher element 13 are set to actuate one and.only one of the several switches 46. Thus, if the switch for actuatingthe desired solenoid-operated bridging element is closed only when theuppermost arm 47 is pivoted forwardly, then the actuating deviceprovided by the pusher element will be set so that only the uppermostcontact element 48 is in extended position. As a result, when the pusherelement passes that particular switch, the solenoid will be actuated,the bridging element will lift upwardly, and the garment-supportinghanger will drop downwardly upon the exposed take-off rod 45 leading tothe desired collection station. After each pusher element has reachedthe end of the segmented track 12. arm 54 of the actuating device 49sweeps into engagement with a suitable projection (not shown) to pivotshaft 55 and force all of the contact elements of that device into fullyextended positions.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing that the apparatus of thepresent invention constitutes a relatively simple and efficientstructure for sortingarticles of clothing. The cleaned or launderedgarments are placed upon hangers, the hangers are placed upon track 12,and the pusher elements then urge the hangers to the predetermineddischarge zones where' elements 27 automatically open and the hangersdrop upon the inclined discharge or take-oif rods 45.

In the operation of the sorting apparatus each of the take-off rods 45will support the garments of an individual or a designated group ofindividuals until all of those garments have been collected. Thus, thecapacity of the apparatus depends largely upon the number of take-offrods which in turn depends upon the length of frame 11. As pointed outabove, any selected number of frame segments may be connected inlongitudinal alignment to form an apparatus of the desired size andcapacity.

One important aspect of the present invention lies in the positive andreliable operation of the apparatus. Thus, a hanger suspended from thetrack cannot avoid being pushed by one of the pusher elements. When thehanger reaches its pre-selected discharge station, the downwardly andforwardly inclined lower edges of the open or raised bridging elementtend to deflect the hanger downwardly to insure proper discharge of thathanger upon the take-off rod 45 while at the same time the upstandingbridging element positively prevents further advancement of the hangeralong the segmented track. Therefore, the garment-supporting hanger willdrop readily through the open trap and onto the take-off rod while thepusher element will pass over the raised bridging element and willcontinue along the track.

While in the foregoing I have disclosed an embodiment of the presentinvention in considerable detail, it will be understood by those skilledin the art that many of these details may be varied considerably withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A garment supporting apparatus comprising a track for slidablysupporting garment hangers by the hooked portions thereof, said trackcomprising a plurality of longitudinally aligned segments spaced apartat the ends thereof to provide a plurality of hanger release stationstherebetween', a plurality of bridging elements pivotally mounted uponsaid track segments at the ends thereof, means for independentlypivoting each of said bridging elements between a first positionbridging the space between a pair of adjacent track segments and asecond position wherein the space between said pair of segments isopened to release a hanger from said track, means for advancinggarment-supporting hangers along said track, and means adjacent each ofsaid release stations for supporting the hangers dropping through eachof said spaces.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said means for pivoting each ofsaid bridging elements includes a solenoid mounted upon each of saidsegments and having the plunger thereof operatively connected to abridgin element.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said track has an inverted U-shapedcross-section.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said means for advancing hangersalong said track includes a plurality of uniformly spaced pusherelements movable therealong, and means supporting said pusher elementsfor movement along said track.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which each of said pusher elements hasthe general configuration of an inverted Y with depending leg portionsstraddling said garment supporting track.

6. A garment sorting apparatus comprising a frame having a plurality offrame units connected to form a longitudinal series, a garment hangersupport track comprising a plurality of longitudinally aligned tracksegments spaced apart at their ends, means connecting a plurality ofsaid track segments to each of said frame units, bridging elementspivotally mounted upon said segments at the ends thereof and beingpivotally movable between lowered positions bridging the spaces betweensaid segments and raised positions exposing said spaces, means foradvancing garment-supporting hangers along said segmented track, and aplurality of supports each being disposed below one of the spacesbetween said segments for receiving and supporting the garment hangersdischarged therethrough.

7.. The structure of claim 6 in which electrical means are provided forselectively and independently pivoting each of said bridging elementsbetween said raised and said lowered positions.

8. The structure of claim 6 in which said means for advancing hangersalong said track includes at least one pusher element supported by saidframe for movement along said track.

9. The structure of claim 8 in which said pusher element has a generallyinverted'Y configuration and is provided with depending legs at leastpartially straddling said track.

10. The structure of claim 6 in which said bridging elements each has apair of depending triangular shaped side walls providing downwardlyinclined edges for deflecting garment hangers downwardly when saidelement is raised.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS704,450 Eichhom July 8, 1902 1,806,879 Lindgren May 26, 1931 2,491,300Condit Dec. 13, 1949 2,774,458 Keuper Dec. 18, 1956

